ALIYAH’S POVThe sun fell asleep behind the sloping and green mountains far too quickly. The scenery in front of me was serene and calm, and it gave me the warmth I sought. I drew in a breath and inhaled the cold breeze here from the balcony. The air blew my hair, and I had to tuck it behind my ear.Laughter could be heard inside. I turned around and walked to the bedroom, exited it, and so I could check on Liana and Alice in the living room who were playing Checker. They were resting for a while right before they went back to sewing the bridal dress I would be wearing for the unification ceremony.The ceremony would be held two days from now, and I was currently in the stage of purification, in which I needed to reduce my interaction with the other members of the pack, including Reid, and I had to be on a strict vegetable and herb diet. Reid would be staying in a different house for the time being as we have to abide by the ceremony phases as a respect to

ALIYAH’S POVI did my best to keep my attention fixed on Liana, Alice, and Charlotte, who were talking to me, congratulating me as, finally, I’d become Reid’s wife and Luna of the Jewel Pack, but my gaze always found its way to follow Reid on the other side of the aisle.I couldn’t believe that we were, at last, married to each other. The unification was so unfeigned and surreal that I had to pinch myself just to ensure that this was not a dream; that I truly married the man who captivated my heart and soul.My chest rose as I breathed in when Reid checked over his shoulder and glanced over at me. I could feel the searing desire building up within me, and I knew it was the same case for him. The mate bond pull seemed to have become stronger right after the ceremony. It was as if our marriage had awakened the beast side of me, and now I desired him in the most intense way. I had never felt it even before I got pregnant, and it was embarras

ALIYAH’S POVI shivered, walking into our home while my eyes surveyed the living room. The sound of something liquid pouring into a glass got my attention. When I glanced at the kitchen, there I saw Reid, who was drinking his brandy like it was only water.Pain went through me as I watched him trying to keep his emotions under control, but deep within, a big part of him was breaking. Perhaps the invitation to the annual assembly opened some wounds that have hardly healed even after so many years. I totally understood that even though time couldn’t heal the broken part of him, the wounds may close, but the scars would never fade away.It was just right there, waiting for the perfect time to trigger him and make him feel the searing pain of how his parents died.If only I had another choice... I would never convince him to do something that would bring back all the pain he once felt.But I had no option. As the Luna of this pack, I had to

REID’S POVRage coursed through my veins as I went out of the tent to go to where I would meet the other Alphas. I took a few deep breaths, surveying the whole area as I walked to the red tent, checking over every man’s face and trying to figure out who the hell was Aliyah’s brother among them.That fucking bastard who made my mate suffer had to learn his lesson very well. He was the reason Aliyah experienced so much pain that kept her haunted for most of her life. He and his incompetent father scarred her.My wolf was howling for vengeance inside of me, and I could have sworn it was the same case for me. I wanted to seek revenge for what my mate had experienced, and I knew that the only punishment that would bring his family to the same level of agony as what she had gone through was death.Aliyah would not have felt the knot of anxiety if only we had stayed in our territory. If only we had another choice. Ever since I’ve become t

ALIYAH’S POV"Wife? So you’re mated with my sister?"Shawn laughed, which echoed in my head. He sounded amused at what he heard from Reid. I know. He could not believe that someone had decided to marry me. All my life, he’d been insulting me because I had an ugly body. A day would not even pass without him telling me how terrible it felt to have a sister like me.And now... he’d learned that I was married. His ugly sister, whom he used to enslave, had a mate and got married.Reid’s expression hardened. "Do you have a problem with that?""Yeah. You married that wench whose wolf is mute? What a pity," Shawn replied, and I caught the menace in his tone of voice."Try to speak ill of her one more time, and I will tear your mouth apart," Reid warned him.Giving my husband a one-handed shrug, Shawn then glanced over at me."You seem to have poor taste, Alpha Reid. You should’ve rejected my good for